Current students
University of Melbourne
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Subham Preetam, PhD student in BioSciences
Subham is interested in researching microinjection-mediated delivery of CRISPR-Cas9 and RNA interference technologies to enable precise genetic manipulation of high-impact agricultural pests. By overcoming long-standing barriers in functional genomics for these recalcitrant species, he aims to establish next-generation, species-specific pest control strategies that reduce reliance on chemical pesticides. His broader vision is to translate advanced genome engineering tools into scalable, environmentally responsible solutions for global crop protection and agricultural sustainability. |
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Viktoria Wieser, PhD student in BioSciences (co-supervised with Mayfield Lab)
Viktoria is interested in understudied mutualistic and antagonistic plant-animal interactions and plant-plant interactions. She will investigate the interplay between herbivory and plant species composition in the annual plant communities of the York-Gum Woodlands of Western Australia, to find out why some species are more heavily affected than others by herbivory and if herbivory is influenced by plant species composition. |
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Ian Clark, MSc student in BioSciences
Ian is interested in cryptic biodiversity and host relationships among galling and parasitoid wasps. He is using the Trichilogaster-Acacia system to resolve host-parasite interactions and uncover new host associations for use in biological control. |
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Gopi Koladiya, PhD student @ La Trobe University (co-supervised)
Gopi is interested in how grape phylloxera interacts with its host, especially viticulturally relevant rootstocks. She is assessing Australian genotypes for virulence and aims to validate resistance traits. |
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Santiago Marín Bascuñán, PhD student in BioSciences
Santiago is interested in how plants evolve relative to climate and after invading new landscapes. He is using the invasive blackberry as a focal organism to identify and evaluate genetic-based mechanisms that enable adaptation to new environments. |
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Shentao Chen, MSc student in Bioinformatics
Shentao is interested in how aphids overcome resistance in cultivated apple and the use of machine learning as a bioinformatics tool. |
Students advised at University of California - Riverside
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Conner Lay, PhD student through EEOB
co-advised with Dr. Kate Ostevik email: clay007[at]ucr.edu Conner is interested in how plants interact with their abiotic and biotic environments. He wants to better understand how environmental changes such as habitat fragmentation and climate variation contribute to genetic diversity and adaptation. |
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Nate Collison, PhD student through BPSC
co-advised with Dr. Niels Groen email: wcoll010[at]ucr.edu Nate is broadly interested in molecular plant-biotic-environment interactions. He is focusing on the molecular mechanisms by which parasites manipulate their plant hosts, and the reciprocal means by which plants protect themselves. |
Alumni
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Zeyi Liu, MSc in Bioinformatics, 2025
Thesis: Landscape Genomics of the Gall-Maker Aphids |
Josh successfully found WAA in both WA and CA to help finish his project.
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Josh Wemmer, MS in Entomology, 2019
Thesis: Characterizing the Dual Transcriptomes of Woolly Apple Aphid, Eriosoma lanigerum (Hausmann), and its Host, Malus domestica (Borkh.), Across a Host Resistance Spectrum |
